Today is Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day - the perfect time to remember a hero of th
Today is Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day - the perfect time to remember a hero of the 1948 War of Independence.Yigael Yadin devoted his life to protecting the future of his people, as well as their past. Born in Jerusalem, 1917, Yadin was the son of Polish emigres. His father was a struggling archeologist and his mother a women’s rights activist. At age 15, Yadin joined the paramilitary group Haganah, which later became the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). While attending university in 1948, Yadin was called into active service by David Ben-Gurion. The War of Independence had begun. Yadin became a Lieutenant General at age 30, and commanded both Yitzhak Rabin and Moshe Dayan. He was one of the men most responsible for nascent Israel’s amazing victory against the combined armies of five surrounding nations.Yadin was appointed Chief of Staff for the IDF in 1949. He reorganized the IDF based on his intensive study of the Swiss Army. He called for a small standing army, compulsory military service, and a large reserve force. Yadin said, “Every Israeli citizen is a full-time soldier who is on leave 11 months of the year.”In 1952, Yadin left the IDF to pursue his interest in archeology, following in his father’s footsteps. Yadin led many important digs in the 1950’s and 60’s, including the excavation of Masada, the site of a famous Jewish resistance to Roman rule. Yadin told his archeological team at Masada, “When Napoleon stood among his troops next to the pyramids of Egypt, he declared that ‘four thousand years of history look down upon you.’ But what would he not have given to be able to say to his men: four thousand years of your own history look down upon you.” A highly respected scholar of ancient Israel, Yadin is perhaps best known today for decoding and interpreting the Dead Sea Scrolls. He was a dynamic public speaker and successful author. Yadin’s passion was educating Israelis about their history and he is credited with popularizing the field of archeology. Yadin died in 1984 and is buried in the military cemetery at Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.For his dedication to the people of Israel and their history, we proudly honor Yigael Yadin as this week’s Thursday Hero at Accidental Talmudist, Yom Ha'Atzmaut Edition.Accidental Talmudist -- source link